What is ProductTask? Cyber security researchers has determined that the ProductTask is an app that falls under the category of adware. Adware – What Is It? Adware is considered by many to be synonymous with ‘malware’. It is a harmful program which displays unwanted ads to computer users. Some examples include pop up advertisements, various offers and deals or unclosable windows.
Unwanted ads
Even worse, adware can collect your surfing history and privacy information, including passwords and credit card numbers. In the future, privacy info about you can be sold to third parties.
Adware software can be installed onto your Apple Mac via infected web pages, when you open email attachments, anytime you download and install free applications. So, install freeware is a a good chance that you will find a bundled adware. If you don’t know how to avoid it, then use a simple trick. During the setup, choose the Custom or Advanced setup option. Next, click ‘Decline’ button and clear all checkboxes on offers that ask you to install bundled apps. Moreover, please carefully read Term of use and User agreement before installing any apps or otherwise you can end up with another unwanted program on your Apple Mac such as this adware.
Threat Summary
| Name | ProductTask, Product Task 1.0 app (extension) |
| Type | adware software, potentially unwanted application (PUA), pop-ups, pop-up virus, pop up advertisements |
| Symptoms |
|
| Removal | ProductTask removal guide |
The best option is to use the step-by-step guidance posted below to free your computer of adware and thus remove ProductTask ads.
How to remove ProductTask adware
As with deleting adware software, malware or PUPs, there are few steps you can do. We advise trying them all. If you do only one part of the instructions, then it should be run malware removal utility, because it should delete adware and stop any further infection. But to completely remove ProductTask adware you’ll have to at least reset your web-browser settings such as default search provider, homepage and newtab page to default state, uninstall all unwanted and suspicious programs, and delete adware by malicious software removal utilities. Some of the steps below will require you to close this webpage. So, please read the few simple steps carefully, after that bookmark it or open it on your smartphone for later reference.
To remove ProductTask, use the following steps:
- How to delete ProductTask adware without any software
- How to remove Product Task adware software with free applications
- Use AdBlocker to stay safe online
- Finish words
How to delete ProductTask adware without any software
First of all, try to remove ProductTask adware manually; to do this, follow the steps below. Of course, manual removal of adware software requires more time and may not be suitable for those who are poorly versed in computer settings. In this case, we recommend that you scroll down to the section that describes how to get rid of ProductTask using free utilities.
Delete ProductTask related apps through the Finder
We recommend that you start the MAC system cleaning procedure by checking the list of installed programs and uninstall all unknown or questionable apps. This is a very important step, as mentioned above, very often the malicious programs such as adware and hijacker infections may be bundled with free programs. Remove the unwanted apps can remove the undesired advertisements or web browser redirect.
Make sure you have closed all internet browsers and other applications. Next, remove any undesired and suspicious applications from machine using the Finder.
Open Finder and click “Applications”.
Look around the entire list of applications installed on your machine. Most likely, one of them is the Product Task adware software that causes a huge count of intrusive popups. Select the questionable application or the application that name is not familiar to you and delete it.
Drag the dubious program from the Applications folder to the Trash.
Most important, don’t forget, choose Finder -> Empty Trash.
Remove ProductTask adware from Chrome
If you have adware software problem or the Chrome is running slow, then reset Chrome settings can help you. In the steps below we’ll show you a method to reset your Chrome settings to original settings without reinstall. This will also help to remove ProductTask ads from your web browser.
Open the Google Chrome menu by clicking on the button in the form of three horizontal dotes (
). It will show the drop-down menu. Select More Tools, then click Extensions.
Carefully browse through the list of installed plugins. If the list has the plugin labeled with “Installed by enterprise policy” or “Installed by your administrator”, then complete the following steps: Remove Google Chrome extensions installed by enterprise policy otherwise, just go to the step below.
Open the Chrome main menu again, click to “Settings” option.
Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the “Advanced” link. Now scroll down until the Reset settings section is visible, as shown in the following example and click the “Reset settings to their original defaults” button.
Confirm your action, press the “Reset” button.
Delete Product Task from Firefox by resetting browser settings
Resetting your Firefox is good initial troubleshooting step for any issues with your browser program, including the redirect to ProductTask ads. When using the reset feature, your personal information like passwords, bookmarks, browsing history and web form auto-fill data will be saved.
Click the Menu button (looks like three horizontal lines), and click the blue Help icon located at the bottom of the drop down menu as displayed in the following example.
A small menu will appear, click the “Troubleshooting Information”. On this page, click “Refresh Firefox” button as displayed on the screen below.
Follow the onscreen procedure to restore your Mozilla Firefox web-browser settings to their default state.
Get rid of ProductTask adware from Safari
If you find that Safari web browser settings such as default search engine, home page and newtab page having been modified by ProductTask, then you may restore your settings, via the reset web browser procedure.
Click Safari menu and select “Preferences”.
It will open the Safari Preferences window. Next, click the “Extensions” tab. Look for unknown and suspicious extensions on left panel, choose it, then click the “Uninstall” button. Most important to delete all unknown extensions from Safari.
Once complete, click “General” tab. Change the “Default Search Engine” to Google.
Find the “Homepage” and type into textfield “https://www.google.com”.
How to remove Product Task adware software with free applications
If you’re not expert at MAC technology, then we recommend to run free removal utilities listed below to remove ProductTask adware for good. The automatic way is highly recommended. It has less steps and easier to implement than the manual method. Moreover, it lower risk of system damage. So, the automatic ProductTask removal is a better option.
Delete ProductTask adware software with MalwareBytes Anti Malware (MBAM)
You can get rid of ProductTask adware automatically with a help of MalwareBytes Anti Malware (MBAM). We suggest this free malware removal tool because it can easily get rid of browser hijacker, adware, PUPs and toolbars with all their components such as files, folders and registry entries.
MalwareBytes Anti Malware can be downloaded from the following link.
20842 downloads
Author: Malwarebytes
Category: Security tools
Update: September 10, 2020
Once the downloading process is finished, close all apps and windows on your MAC OS. Run the saved file. Follow the prompts.
The MalwareBytes will automatically start and you can see its main screen as shown in the following example.
Now click the “Scan” button for scanning your Apple Mac for the ProductTask adware software that causes multiple annoying ads and pop-ups. This procedure can take quite a while, so please be patient. While the MalwareBytes program is checking, you can see count of objects it has identified as threat.
When the scanning is done, MalwareBytes will display a scan report. When you are ready, press “Remove Selected Items” button. The MalwareBytes AntiMalware (MBAM) will start to get rid of ProductTask adware software that causes web browsers to display intrusive pop up ads.
Use AdBlocker to stay safe online
The AdGuard is a very good ad-blocker application for the Chrome, Firefox and Safari, with active user support. It does a great job by removing certain types of undesired ads, popunders, pop ups, undesired new tab pages, and even full page advertisements and web-page overlay layers.
Visit the page linked below to download AdGuard.
3677 downloads
Author: © Adguard
Category: Security tools
Update: January 17, 2018
When the download is done, start the downloaded file. You will see the “Setup Wizard” screen. Follow the prompts.
Each time, when you launch your MAC, AdGuard will run automatically and stop annoying popup advertisements, block malicious or misleading web-pages.
Finish words
After completing the guide above, your Apple Mac should be clean from ProductTask adware and other malicious software. The Safari, Firefox and Chrome will no longer redirect you to various unwanted ads. Unfortunately, if the few simple steps does not help you, then you have caught a new adware, and then the best way – ask for help here.
